How To Say Goodbye
by MorningSuns
Summary: Aang and Katara are having a hard time saying goodbye to each other, as Aang leaves to take care of his Avatar duties for the first time since they've been together.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This fanfic is kind of similar to my previous one, "Too Much", the only big difference is that this one is not a lemon. Sorry;) This is my interpretation of their reaction if Aang was leaving for a long period of time. Enjoy!**

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><p>"I hate this," Katara slammed her hand against the wall in frustration. Aang's eyes snapped up just long enough to register the tears shining in her blue orbs. He looked away, unable to stand the sight.<p>

Not knowing how to answer, Aang simply shook his head and swallowed hard. He zipped the bag in front of him and waited for the hurt to pass. "We're just starting to figure out what it means to be together," Katara continued in a soft whisper. As Aang felt his hand covered with her own, all thoughts left his mind and he squeezed the waterbender's fingers desperately.

"If I could stay… I would," he finally uttered. Katara slid their fingers together and moved closer to Aang. The heat radiating from her body made the him flush.

"Stay," she whispered, her voice barley audible. If they hadn't been standing so close, almost on top of each other, then Aang would have pretended not to hear her. But he did hear her. And Katara knew he heard her.

"Don't make this hard," he begged her.

"But this is hard. It's hard, Aang. Or at least it is for me," she replied, her words lifting with hints of bitterness. She knew that she wasn't being fair but, her emotions were twisting inside of her so powerfully that she couldn't control what spilled over.

"You think this isn't hard for me?" he snapped, pulling his hand away from Katara's smaller one. Wiping furiously at her cheeks and eyes, Katara shook her head and refused to answer. "I'm the one who has to leave everything I know and love behind. This is hard for me Katara, but I'm the Avatar and I have to do this," he continued bluntly.

"You're right," she muttered. "You go save the world again and forget all about me," she added miserably.

"You know that isn't how it is," he bit out.

"I don't know anything right now," she argued, turning to look for her coat-jacket.

"You're leaving?" Aang called, following her every move with his eyes.

"I can't sit here and pretend that this isn't killing me," she replied, grabbing hold of her coat. Breathing heavily, Katara walked to the door.

"You're just leaving? Just like that, just because things aren't perfect?" Aang cried, his eyes stinging with tears of frustration. Katara's hand paused on the door knob and she whipped around to face him.

"Yes. I'm leaving. I don't want you to go, Aang! I want you stay here with me. But you can't and it's too hard. It's too hard," she finished, her lip quivering. Tears fell down her cheeks and she looked away from him, focusing instead on a bare wall.

"Stay," he told her quietly, his eyes never leaving Katara's form.

"Only if you will," she uttered emotionally. It was this statement, this moment, that finally broke the young monk. He let out a shaky breath and covered his face with a hand, finally allowing the tears to come. Inhaling deeply he turned away from Katara, hiding his face.

"Aang…" she's spoke clearly, her tone questioning and comforting at the same time.

"I don't want to leave you," he swallowed, using his sleeves to wipe his wet eyes. He heard Katara's footsteps approach him slowly. Finally he felt her slide a hand in the space between his shoulder and neck. Her fingers grazed the exposed skin of Aang's neck and she rubbed the spot gently.

"Come here," she finally said, moving to rest against his back. Aang didn't turn around, but he did allow Katara to press herself close to him. Her hand left his shoulder and snaked around his waste securely. She pressed into him even more and she rested her face against his back. They stayed like that for a moment, both doing their best to control their breathing. Eventually Katara let her fingers slide under the hem of Aang's tunic and press into the bare skin of his side.

"I don't know how to say goodbye to you," Katara whispered against his tunic. Slamming his eyes shut tightly, Aang felt his heart shatter.

Aang had never wanted anything or anyone more than he wanted Katara in that moment. The feeling hit him all at once. He didn't know what he wanted from her, he didn't know what it meant. He just knew that he wanted her there, with him, always. Touching him and filling him with something he never knew existed. It didn't have a name, it didn't have a place, it just… was.

"I love you," Aang choked. He said it because he meant it, he said it because he didn't know what else to say. The words weren't exactly right, they weren't enough. But they were all he had.

"I love you too," Katara replied, her breath hitching with sadness. Feeling her wet tears soak through the thin fabric of his shirt, Aang finally turned around. The space between them was brief and it took only seconds for them to wrap each other in a tight embrace. He let his head drop to the side of Katara's neck. He pressed his nose against the bare skin and reveled in the feeling of closeness. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you," she continued sniffling. Aang held her tighter.

"It's okay," he replied. After a moment Aang felt Katara pull away. He reluctantly let go and reached out to wipe her eyes.

"Look at me, I'm a mess," she laughed. She reached out and brushed Aang's cheek softly. He caught her hand before it could drop and brought it close to his chest, holding it in both of his own hands.

"I really do love you, you know that right?" he asked. And suddenly it was important, so important, for Katara to believe that.

"I know…" Katara trailed off hopelessly.

"This sucks," he breathed.

"It does," she nodded.

"How about I just pack you in one of these bags and take you with me," Aang spoke, smiling just a little. Katara laughed out loud at that, her eyes locking with his own and shining brightly.

"I'm gonna miss you," she smiled sadly, biting her lip and staring at Aang with unwavering eyes.

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><p>"Aang, Aang wake up. Aang!" Katara whispered harshly.<p>

"Hm?" he mumbled in confusion. Aang squinted his eyes open and saw Katara leaning over him, hair tousled since she had spent the night in his room, both Sokka and Hakoda agreeing that they deserved the time together.

"Get up!" she urged, yanking his hand.

"Why?" he groaned loudly.

"Quiet. Come with me," she whispered. She held her hand in front of him. Aang stared at her for a moment before finally resting his own hand in her smaller one. She smiled gently and tugged him up from his sleeping position. Aang held on to one of his blankets and wrapped it securely around his torso as he stood up.

"Where are we going?" he wondered groggily as his girlfriend lead him out of his room. Katara didn't answer, she simply pulled him through the hallway and down the stairs. When they reached the front door, Aang paused in confusion. "Katara!" he exclaimed.

"The sun is about to rise," she finally replied, pulling on his hand with out waiting for another word. The pair quietly made their way onto the porch and settled on the steps. Aang offered Katara part of his blanket and they cuddled together comfortably.

"I never took you for a sunrise kind of girl," Aang mentioned after a moment. Katara giggled softly and tucked her head against his shoulder.

"I'm not," she answered with a shrug. Aang swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling dry and raw.

"Today is the day," he muttered miserably.

"In a few minutes, when the sun comes up… I'm gonna leave. My Dad, Sokka, and I are going back to the South Pole," Katara cleared her throat when she finished. She cleared it once more as Aang looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep all night. I just, stared at the ceiling… and at you. I can't put this off any more. This... this is goodbye. And it's killing me," she admitted. Aang turned his head and nudged Katara from his shoulder. He searched her eyes and found a longing that was so intense it would have brought him to his knees had he not been sitting.

"It's killing me too," he whispered.

"I know. And I know that putting it off will only make things worse," she nodded to herself. Aang nodded along with her and the couple looked to the sky. They watched as the colors morphed and lightened, the sky contrasting with the dark feelings in their gut.

"I don't know what to say," Aang muttered as the sky grew brighter. "How do we…"

"I love you. Aang, I love you so much. And I know that things between us are more complicated now that we're going to be apart. But you are one of my best friends. And even though our friendship turned into something more, no matter what happens, you will always be in my life. I promise," Katara spoke with tears in her eyes. Aang smiled through his own tears and rested his forehead against Katara's.

"When did you become so good at saying goodbye?" he asked quietly. She placed her hands gently on each side of his face and kissed him soundly on the lips.

"I told you, I was awake all night. I had some time to think about what I wanted to say," she chuckled. Aang placed his hands over Katara's and nudged her head forward, bumping their noses together.

"I can't even piece together full thoughts," he replied, shaking his head softly.

"I don't need full thoughts," she assured him.

"Your hair is soft," he sniffled, his hands moving to burry themselves in her dark locks. "You snort when you laugh hard, I think it might be my favorite sound. When you touch me, I feel like I'm on fire… or maybe falling into the sky. You're smarter than you think you are. You're prettier than you think you are. And you're brave. So brave. You make me feel normal, like I'm exactly how I'm supposed to be," Aang paused to take a breath. He could feel warm tears sliding down his cheeks and mixing with Katara's own.

"Aang…" she breathed shakily.

"I love you. I love you so much. You lips, your eyes, the way you move when you waterbend. I love you. I love you," he repeated steadily, like it was the only thing that mattered.

"I know," she whispered, interrupting any further words with a kiss. Their lips met roughly, pushing and pulling in all the right ways. It was soft and firm, it was a whisper of everything they felt. It was all the things they couldn't put into words, and it still wasn't enough.

"Send me a letter when you get there," Katara panted, pulling away and wiping her eyes.

"Don't leave yet," he choked.

"I have to," she explained.

"This sucks," he muttered, his words ringing with despair.

"Yeah," Katara nodded. She leaned in and kissed him quickly before disentangling herself from the blanket and standing up.

"I'll send you a letter," he vowed, standing up as well. He hugged the blanket to his body as Katara walked down the steps and towards the ship, where her father and brother had been waiting.

"Promise?" Katara forced a smile and walked backwards.

"Promise," Aang nodded. He watched her walk down the sidewalk, locking eyes with hers steadily.

"You know, I think I might stop by in The Earth Kingdom next month…" she teased. Aang chuckled to himself, memories of their scheduling and planning pouring through his mind.

"I think I might be heading that way too," he mentioned playfully.

"We should meet up," she smiled.

"It's a date," he uttered, his voice genuine and full of hope. Katara nodded and brought a hand to her lips. She softly blew him a kiss before turning back around and making her way down the pavement. Aang held his own hand to his lips, imagining the feel of Katara's mouth. He shut his eyes, unable to watch her retreating form, but unable to walk away.

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><p><strong>AN: Wasn't that just so heartfelt? I swear my eyes were watering a little while I was typing this. If you think Aang and Katara seem a little OOC, you're probably right. My apologies if you think they do. But, anyway, thanks for reading. Review, please?:) **

**Oh and by the way, I'm adding a second chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to the ones who reviewed the last chapter, I appreciate all of your input:) I hadn't been planning to write a second chapter until _AvatarIsMyLife _persuaded me to continue. So I did and I hope A.I.M.L likes this, as well as anyone else reading this. Enjoy!:)**

**Disclaimer: ...awkward moment when Microsoft Word auto corrects "disclaimer" to "disappointment". That just happened. With that being said, I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own Avatar.**

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><p>"She hasn't wrote back to me," Aang muttered. He tugged at his tunic in frustration before forcefully throwing the ink pen and scroll onto the table in front of him.<p>

"Aang, you're gonna break it!" Suki scolded.

"I really don't care," he replied, his voice hard.

"Lose the attitude kid," Sokka warned. Aang rolled his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch in room.

"Where's Zuko?" he asked, closing his eyes and doing his best to control his annoyance. Aang had been in the Fire Nation for three weeks and while he loved traveling, he was beginning to crumble under the pressure. Sokka and Suki returned to the Fire Nation to assist in stopping the oncoming rebellions. Toph had followed Aang around, not wanting to return home to the wrath of her parents. A certain waterbender, however, remained in the South Pole and hasn't had contact with the Gaang since she left.

"He had an errand to run," Sokka replied.

"An errand? I thought I was pretty much his full time errand," he scoffed.

"Stop being such a prissy Twinkletoes," Toph called, shaking her head in disappointment. Aang knew that he was being moody and unappreciative. He knew that his behavior was less than admirable. But he was homesick and he missed Katara.

"Why don't you try sending hawky again," Sokka suggested.

"I've tried, four times this week. She still hasn't replied." he deadpanned. "I may be in love, but I'm not pathetic," he added plainly.

"Knock, knock…" Zuko called, cracking the door open and poking his head inside.

"Where in the world have you been, Zuko?" Aang wondered.

"I came across a fan. She says she's one of your biggest fans. Do you have a minute to say hello to her?" he asked, raising his eyebrows innocently. Aang swallowed his initial response and sat up, turning to face the door.

"Yeah sure. Tell her to come on in," he agreed.

"Right this way Miss," Zuko announced, opening the door fully and stepping to the side.

"Hey, do you think that I could maybe get an autograph?" A sweet voice cut through the air easily. Aang stood up at the sight of her sparkling eyes and wide smile.

"Katara…" he whispered, his eyes locking with her own intensely. She walked towards him, her dark hair hanging loosely around her shoulders.

"Surprise!" she laughed lightly. Aang walked towards her and pulled her against him hurriedly. He lifted her off of the ground, burying his face in her hair and reveling in her presence.

"You're here," he breathed, his lips moving against her neck. "You're here, you're here…" he repeated quietly, almost as though he couldn't believe it.

"I'm here," she agreed pulling away as he set her back on the ground. She leaned forward, kissing his lips and then his cheek.

"What are you doing here?" he smiled, kissing her forehead and then her nose, and finally her lips once more. Katara giggled as he leaned back slightly, giving her only enough room to speak.

"I really missed Zuko," she teased. Zuko chuckled from his spot on the couch and threw up a fist in mock celebration.

"I'm serious," he chuckled. "I thought you had forgotten about me," he continued, his hands firm against her waist.

"Sweetie, it's only been three weeks. I was spending some time with Gran Gran in the South Pole but then I decided that maybe it would be nice to see my boyfriend," she explained lightly.

"Nice? This is amazing," he moved one of his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "This is perfect," he added happily.

"Alright, alright… let the rest of us say hello to her," Suki interrupted, using a hand to pull Aang away slightly. "Hi pretty girl," she greeted Katara, hugging her gently. Aang stepped back, his eyes never leaving the waterbender.

"You're timing could not be more perfect," Sokka announced, squeezing his sister's shoulder lightly.

"Our boy was catching an attitude," Toph explained, as Katara hugged her warmly. "It's good to see you again, Toph," she added.

"I was not catching an attitude," Aang argued.

"You've been a moody little fussy pritch all day Twinkletoes," Toph corrected.

"Well, Katara wasn't replying to my letters and Zuko was MIA and um… the weather here sucks," he stuttered. Katara giggled quietly and moved to step in front of Aang. She took his hand in her own and intertwined their fingers.

"Aang, you gotta stop being a brat. You're gonna get wrinkles from all that frowning," she teased, touching his cheek with her free hand. "You're too cute for that," she added.

"I'm not a brat," he muttered.

"Not even a little?" she asked quietly.

"Maybe just a little," he admitted. "But that's only because I missed you so much," he added sweetly.

"Don't blame it on me!" she laughed, poking him in the shoulder.

"Sorry, that's just how it is sweetie. I'm miserable and moody without you. So for the sake of everyone around me, you should probably just stay. Maybe like… forever?" he quipped.

"For the sake of everyone around you?" she smirked.

"Uh huh," he nodded.

"You're just so thoughtful, aren't you?" she joked.

"You know it," he smiled.

"I don't know, Aang. Forever is a long time," she continued.

"Not long enough…" he told her sweetly, leaning forward and kissing her lips.

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><p><strong>AN: I think I might add another chapter...**


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